PUPILS from a West Dunbartonshire school were on hand to officially start the countdown to a major sporting event.

The Gavinburn Primary School pupils, Lucas Park, Iona Fyfe, Alanna Clark, Emma Creamer and Bradley MacPherson, were front and centre as they promoted the official sale of tickets for Glasgow 2018- a high profile multi-sport event.

Tickets for the Glasgow 2018 European Championships – an exciting new multi-sport event bringing together some of the continent’s leading sports – are now on sale with attendances of around 250,000 expected at venues in Glasgow and Scotland next year.

Commonwealth and European champion swimmer, Ross Murdoch, from Balloch, who has been named as the first Glasgow 2018 sporting ambassador, also joined young people from across Scotland at a sporting street carnival in Glasgow’s Buchanan Street to celebrate tickets going on public sale.

Murdoch, who famously won gold in the 200m breaststroke at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, has won a host of medals including gold at the 2016 European Aquatics Championships and bronze at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships. He was also part of Team GB at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

And Glasgow 2018 ambassador Ross Murdoch, who has fond memories of competing in Glasgow, has already set his sights on adding to his incredible record and urged fans to play their part in creating history during what will be an unforgettable 11 days of sport in the summer of next year.

He said: “I’ve got such great memories of competing in Glasgow – the fans really are something else and that really brings out the best in athletes. You always want to perform in front of passionate fans in packed venues and that is what you get when you compete in Glasgow. It is an unbelievable place to perform in.

“And that is what will make the Glasgow 2018 European Championships so special. The fans really get behind you and take you to the next level. I have no doubt that will be the case next year and that Glasgow 2018 will be one of the best sporting events ever staged in this country.”

Visit www.glasgow2018.com/tickets for more details on how to buy tickets.